Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: October 2018

Tackling the Ag labor shortage – California Farm Academy strives to create a new labor pipeline

Farmers have been struggling with not only a labor shortage on one end, but long-term supervisors, farm managers and farm owners starting to age-out of the business. The Center for Land-Based Learning, a non-profit organization located in Winters, recently created … Continue reading

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Get a refund for organic certification fees

Here in the Golden State, “organic” is a label that must be earned – but for farmers, processors and related businesses who have done the work and earned the right to use that label, there’s a way you may be … Continue reading

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Science and can-do spirit intersect impressively in Southern California pest programs

A trip to Southern California this week was a welcome reminder of the remarkable work our employees do to protect us from threats posed by invasive species. My first stop was the joint CDFA/USDA Medfly Preventative Release Program in Los … Continue reading

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New tariffs from China pressure farm exports – from Ag Alert

By Ching Lee  In the escalating trade conflict between the U.S. and China, more California agricultural products now face new retaliatory tariffs in one of their export markets. China has implemented a new round of tariffs on $60 billion worth … Continue reading

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Denmark inspires US delegation with biogas energy innovation

By Geetika Joshi, PhD I was honored to represent CDFA last week in Denmark as part of a US delegation sent to learn about he use of biogas as a renewable energy source. I joined a contingent of 14 people from all … Continue reading

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Meet the newest recruits in California’s war on climate change: carbon farmers – from CALmatters

By Alistair Bland / CALmatters Loren Poncia’s idling pickup shudders in a powerful gust of afternoon wind in western Marin County. Inside the warm cab, he scans the sun-browned hills through his binoculars, counting his grazing cows. Poncia raises beef cattle. … Continue reading

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“Farm to Table Talk” podcast with Secretary Ross celebrates the progress of the Farm to Fork movement

When 70,000 people showed up last weekend to celebrate “Farm to Fork” at an annual festival in Sacramento, it was an opportunity for Farm to Table Talk podcast host Mark Wasson to sit down with three pioneering leaders of Farm … Continue reading

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Secretary Ross, Senator Lara help unveil revamped digester facility at Open Sky Ranch Dairy

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Decades-long Pink Bollworm quarantine lifted in California – Video

Following a Pink Bollworm quarantine and eradication program that endured for more than 50 years, the USDA has lifted regulations for the cotton pest in California. In this video, CDFA examines the history of the program and the innovation that … Continue reading

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